Salers wins BFL event on Mississippi River

Boater Dudley Salers of Jackson, Miss., earned $4,244 June 17 as winner of the BFL Mississippi Division event on the Mississippi River and also took home $1,000 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup participant. Angler: Dudley Salers.

June 17, 2006 • MLF • Archives

GREENVILLE, Miss. – Boater Dudley Salers of Jackson, Miss., earned $4,244 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division event on the Mississippi River. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Mississippi Division events and earned Salers 200 points in the Boater Division.

Salers’ winning catch of five bass weighed 19 pounds, 10ounces. He was throwing a black and blue jig on ledges in 12 to 15 feet of water.

Salers also took home an additional $1,000 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Newton Ford of Lena, Miss. (five bass, 17 pounds, 13 ounces, $2,122); James Buchanan of Brandon, Miss. (five bass, 16 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,413); Shan Schoenrock of Aliceville, Ala. (five bass, 15 pounds, $990); and Webb Collums from Jackson, Miss., and Roger Stegall of Iuka, Miss., tied for fifth (five bass, 14 pounds, 10 ounces, $813.50).

Mark Peagler of Flowood, Miss., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $600 for a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Chris Hults of Vancleave, Miss, won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,122 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces. Hults also won an additional $300 for winning the co-angler big bass award with a 5-pound bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Heath Gilmore of Meridian, Miss. (five bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces, $1061); Sammy Mitchell of Russellville, Ala. (five bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces, $707); Justin Jolly of Oakland, Tenn. (five bass, 10 pounds, 4 ounces, $495); and C.J. Holifield of Steens, Miss. (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $424).

The Mississippi Division will wrap up its regular season with a two-day Super Tournament on Ross Barnett Lake near Jackson, Miss., Sept. 16-17.

Following the regular season, the Mississippi Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 40 Mississippi Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Demopolis Regional near Demopolis, Ala.., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Choo Choo, Everglades, and Seminole anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit FLWOutdoors.com.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.